Trailer



A. oRwAY Sept. 20, 1927.

TRAILER Filed April "2o. 192s HIL.

Patented Sept. 20, 1927, 1'

UNITED STATES i p ADOLPHE ORDWAY, or ivnvgriviaii,` CALIFORNIA.'

5 TRAILER.

lApplication filed April. 20, 1926. Serial No. 103,331.

The present invent-ion relates to -iinprovements in road vehicles 'of the type known as trailers. 7

The invention proposes a construction-vin trailers operating to adapt these devices to lend themselves readily to the transportation of animals, such as horses and cattle.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a trailer relatively light in weight yet capable `of sustaining a relatively heavy load, and in adapting the trailer to be readily connected to the rear end portion of a motor vehicle or other traction device.

A further object is the provision of a body construction in trailers adaptedA for conveniently accommodating' an animal, such as a horse, and adapted forconnin'g vthe animal against escape while in transit.

A still further object is the provision of a trailer for use in connection with transporting animals from place toV placeand -constructed so as to simplify the operations of loading and unloading.

The above and other objects are accomplished by instrumentalities pointed outv in the following specification.YV y

The invention is clearly defined inthe claims. v

A satisfactory embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part ofthe specification and in which j Figure vlis a vertical longitudinal section of the inventiontaken approximately on the line 1-1 of Figure 8. `f

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the trailer.

Figure f1 is ay bottom plan viewv of one of the floor sections.`

F igure-5 is a cross sectional detail fshowing the connection'between one of the side members and the frame, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to but showing the connection ybetween the axle and one of the frame members. I f

In carrying out thev invention I provide a frame @which is substantially triangularfin contour and for the sake of lightness is formed of wood. The particular material employed in the construction of'theframe of the present invention is not of the essence so that materials other thanv wood maybe employed whenever desired. The frame a is of ample lengthl for accommodating a body b which also may be of wood. flhe Figure 5,

body b is located upon the wider end portiongof the frame a andthe narrower end portion ofthe frame ais provided with a. clevis 5 adapted for receiving a cross bar 6 atthe rear end portion of a motor vehicle andthe like, so that when a coupling pin 7 is passed through openings in the clevis 5 and through an opening in the cross bar 6, the deviceofthe present invention becomes eiiectively connected to the motor vehicle.

'Straps 8 and 9which cooperate to pro.- vide the clevis 5, are secured as by bolts l() to the upper and lower sides ofthe intermediate bar`11 of the frame a.` The side bars 12 land 13 `of the frame a diverge rearward-.and `aref-disposedl to opposite sides of the intermediate bar 11. At their forward ends the side bars 12 and 1.3 are connected to the; intermediate bar in any preferred manner, as rby bolts .14 extending transversely through the forwardV ends of said bars and through a substantially U,-sliaped strap 15 disposed sofas to-,straddle the forward end portion of the frame a. l The .body

sor

. is constructed so as to provide ample accominodation for they body of an animal. In instances where the device is used for transporting a relatively large animal, such as a horse, the neck and head of the animal may project beyond the forward end of the body b and into the space between the body and the traction vehicle, while the remainder of the animal willr be disposed within the body b. `Theside members 16 and 17 of the bodyv b have at their rear end portions, and preferably also at their intermediate portions, depending tongues 18, which it into sockets 19 formed of Urshaped straps 20. bolted, as shown at 21, or otherwise secured tothe outer faces of the side members 12 and 13. For thel sake of lightness, simplicity and cheapness in construction, I have shown the side members 16 and 17 as being` formed of longitudinally disposed strips 22 bolted, as shown at 23, to vertically extending end Y 'pieces 24 which project above the uppermost of the strips 22. With this construction, the upwardly projecting portions of the forward end pieces 24: provide spaced'bars for receivingthe neck and head of the animal therebetween and by their presence operate to `prevent the animal from turning its neck and head or otherwise displacingits body while in transit. The body b also consists of an end member 25, whichv is interposed between the forward end portions ofthe side members 16 and 17, and anend member 26, vwhich with its ends preferably overlapsthe rearward endv portions of the side members. These end members are vreadily removable from their positions at the side members and are adapted for conveniently and detachably having the side members secured thereto. I also provide tie rods 27 kof diilerentlengths and dispose the relatively short tie rodsso as to extend through openings in the for; ward -enid pieces 2li and theforward ends of the strips/'22 and through lthe forward pair -of vupright-s 28, whichform parts of the respective end :members 25 and 26, the tie rods at one 'end being provided .with heads 29, and theiropposite ends extending beyond one 'ofthe side members of the body and being-screwthreaded and extending through wing nuts v30, which cooperate with the heads 29 to connect the end members -and'ithe side members together. The relatively long tie rods 27 are similarly=disposedfso as yto extend through lthe respective side members 16 and 17 andthrough the rearward pair ofuprights-28 :for the end member 26,V so that, by'the arrangement of the-end members /25 and y26 relative vto theV sidememb'ers 16 and the members are adapted'to be clamped together.

l31 is a forward floor section in the body l). This section is secured, as shown -at 32, to cleats 33 ywhich are ari-ange'dfupon the lower side ofthe section and disposed so as to bear upon Ithe inner faces ofthe sides 12 `and 13 of `frame a and `thereby operate 'to prevent Ylateral displacement of the lvHoor section. V341indicates'a iioor section located in the rear end lportion of the body and vconstructed similarly to the tloorsection 31V. The jfloor sections 31 and llare disposed on l opposite sides of an `axle 35, lwhichvis arranged transversely to the frame 'a and is secured in any 4preferred manner, as tby U- bolts 36, to 'the intermediate port-ion 11 `and l the-.opposite side portions y12l 4and "13, -of the frame.' `Suitable :traction Vwheels are mounted upon the end portions of the axle 35 andare connected thereto in the usual manner. i I The'forward end pieces 24 are `preferably so formed lthat, v when the body bis placed in position `on the frame a, they extend below the frame, as shown at 38,'and the ex- `tensions '38 have openings therein, sothat one 'of the short rods '27 may be' inserted therethrough and secured to the extensions ii"the^manner already explainedin regard ,to the Aother tie rods 27." Thus, while the Y-floorsections 31 and .34, by their engagement with 'thelside'portions'112 and 13,1an'd tl'i'e'depending tongues 18, .by their ,engagement"withtl 1`e respective sockets 19, prevent a sliding movement'of the :body b `upon engagementwith the' underside ofthe ltraine,

prevents an upward movement .of thebody relative to the frame,rso lthat-the body is securely Vretained in its position thereon.

,Fronrthe .foregoing it' is to be observed that the body b'by reason of its sloped side members 16 and 17 is ideally adapted for accommodating an animal, such as a horse, and coniining the animal during transportation.

Theirunning gear made up ofthe axle' and the wheels 37 may correspond with that forming' the front axle and the wheels. of an ordinary motor vehicledof the Ford type. The provisioniof this 'form of runninggear gives a low center of gravity to the trailer and, at the v'same time, enables the .user to load and unload'the device with great facility. The construction and arrangement of the parts, as willrbe anoted, produce f a Y device of relatively =light weight so that the loaded trailerinay be drawny with a .minimumof Aeffort on the parto-f the motor .vehicle. l

In the position of the frame a, asshown in Figure 1', theafloor sections 31 and .34 are virtually inthe samefplane as r`the'wheel axis. It may `be desirable, however, [on some oc-` casions, yfor `instance,'when the trailer is to traverse 'a very Arough ground, -to have the Hoor sections -raised above the wheel ,axis. The frame ai is then easily reversed and is thereby raised so that its top is virtually as much above the wheel yaxis as, i-n the :normal, low position ofthe iframe', its 'bottom is below the axis, and thebody b =is :slipped into placefon the frame, the floor sections engaging the side portions 12 and 13,v the depending tongues 18 littingin ,the respective sockets 19. and `one* of .the vshort jtie rods 27 being inserted through theextensions 38 below the side portions of theV frame and thus retaining the body bon the frame infthe'same manneras whentlie frame isin its low position. In norder' to attach the trailer to the frear end of a vehicle when the vframe `a is in this. inverted and raised position, `it is desirable, although not 'ab-` solutely necessary, to substitute for the clevis 5, which is shown asbeing in an offset relation lto fthe/frame, a-connection in align- -ment with the .frame so as to hold the Y trailer in an almost horizontal position, as

lim

I claim: l

l. A trailer comprising a substantially triangularly shaped frame,cmeans on the narrow end of the frame for connecting the same to a vehicle, an axle disposed transversely of the wider end lof the frame, traction wheels mounted upon the axle, a body superimposed on the wider end portion of the frame and disposed with one end in spaced relation to the narrow end of the frame, said body comprising a floor having converging sides, converging side members connected to the opposite sides of the frame, the ends of the said side members adjacent to the narrow end of the frame having vertical extensions and providing an intervening space for the head and neck'of an animalrand transversely disposed end members connected to the yopposite end portions of the side members. e

2. A trailer comprising a triangularly shaped frame, traction wheels for supporting said frame, a body superimposed on the wider end portion of the frame and disposed with one end in spaced relation to the narrow end of the frame, said body having side and end members` and vertical extensions for supporting said members and providing an intervening space for the head and neck of an animal.

ADOLPHE ORDWAY. 

